Cohiba Cigar Brands

Cohiba cigars is a brand of premium cigars made by 2 separate manufacturers, the Cuban version is handmade by Habanos S.A., and the non-Cuban is produced by General Cigar Company in the Dominican Republic

The History of Cohiba Cigars

Christopher Columbus was way ahead of Castro, as well as the rest of us who buy Cohiba cigars online, when it came to these premium gems. Columbus returned to Hispaniola in 1496, where he witnessed the Taino Indians smoking cured and rolled tobacco leaves. The Taino referred to these "smokes" as..."Cohibas." In February 1962, the United States implemented the Cuban embargo - and with it, banning the import of Cuban cigars - which meant that America would end up missing out on one of Cuba's best-kept secrets: Eduardo Ribera.

He was a local Cuban roller who made puros for one of Castro's bodyguards, who in turn shared his private stash with "El Jefe." Castro loved the cigars so much, he took Ribera as his private roller to make this blend exclusively for him, in secret. The actual name brand came about in 1968 when Cubatabaco, the state's tobacco bureau, formally employed master blender Avelino Lara to produce a new blend at his El Laguito factory. Produced in very limited quantities and reserved only for the most senior Cuban government officials, it consisted of the choicest leaf grown in the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río Province. One of Lara's secrets to imparting such smoothness to his blend was triple-fermenting the leaves, with the third rest in oak barrels. By 1982, the smoke broke free from the island and was introduced worldwide - the United States excluded - meaning these Cuban cigars are very often counterfeited, as fake Cohiba cigars seemed to pop up everywhere.

Meanwhile, back in the States...General Cigar licensed the Cohiba name in the early 90's to market their Dominican-made version of these cigars (not fake Cohibas) in America. Though a lengthy lawsuit with the Cuban government over the brand name continues to this day, the Dominican offering is a staple among enthusiasts worldwide. And it's no wonder why: consisting of three DR-grown Cuban-seed longfillers, Indonesian binder and a sweet, flavorful Cameroon wrapper, this legal Cohiba cigar maintains a slightly spicy, Cuban character; but still remains very distinct from its island-born relative.

Are Cohiba cigars from Cuba?

The answer to this is yes, But the Cohiba made by General is readily available in the US as the Cuban Cohiba is not sold in the US due to the Cuban Trade Embargo imposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

The Cohiba available within the U.S. is Dominican at its heart, Cohiba cigars are a natural stepping stone for smokers looking to ramp up the flavor and add a little spice to the mix. The selections here, starting with the Cohiba Red Dot, land square in the neighborhood of medium body and move on up; though any and all of these Cohibas smoke creamy-smooth, rich and well-balanced due to their respective, refined Cuban-seed longfiller blends.

A Cohiba cigar isn't just a smoke - today it represents quality, history and those bits and pieces of life that are more than just refined. It's no wonder that the original Cuban Cohiba was a Castro favorite.

New Cohiba Cigars For Sale

Not content to leave it at just one cigar, Cohiba has introduced a slew of premium and super-premium offerings under the name, topping out with the Edicion Diamante Collection. Just like you don't buy a Rolex to tell you what time it is, you don't choose these cigars for burning at the barbecue. Hailed as "a piece of premium cigar history," they've worked up something truly special here...wrapped in Cameroon from a crop harvested in 1980 that was hailed as "legendary" and aged ever since, Edicion Diamante, is a limited edition smoke presented in boxes of 10, starting at a 50 ring gauge.

Rich in tradition and refined in taste...buy your box and smoke some history. How much are Cohiba Cigars, you may ask? Well you will find that Cohibas can purchased online at low discount prices here at Famous Smoke Shop.